Floor cleaner



Dec. 31, 1940. c, HRANICKA 2,226,817

FLOOR CLEANER Filed April 21, 1938 [72 1/67; a 7 /4L BEET U. HEAN/CKA I4TTOENEYF Patented ec. 31, 1940 STATES FLOOR CLEANER Albert C. Hranicka,

New Richmond, Wis.

Application April 21, 1938, Serial No. 203,330

3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in floor cleaners, and more particularly to such devices of the squeegee type.

An object of the present invention is to provide 5 a floor cleaner or water sweep comprising a frame having a flexible cleaning element detachably secured thereto adapted to engage the floor or surface to be cleaned, and said frame being provided with a handle which is so connected to the frame that the latter may be swung from side to side by relative rotary movement of the handle, thereby to facilitate guiding the cleaning element along the floor.

A further object is to provide a floor cleaner of the squeegee type comprising a handle having a rod secured to the lower end thereof and pivotally supported in the frame of the cleaner, and said rod being disposed at an angle to the axis of the handle and having its outer end portion operatively connected to the frame in such a manner that when the handle is relatively rotated, the rod, because of its angular relation with respect to the handle, will cause the squeegee frame to be relatively swung or oscillated about a sub- 25 stantially vertical axis, thereby to facilitate guiding the cleaning element under automobiles or into corners in the operation thereof.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel construction of the handle supporting means, whereby the handle may be freely oscillated in a-vertical plane, and whereby the cleaning element may be guided along the floor by relative rotary movement of the handle; in the means provided whereby when pressure is applied to the handle to shove the device along the floor, the pressure exerted on the wiper or cleaning element will be substantially uniformly distributed the entire length thereof, so that maximum cleaning effect is obtained the entire length of the cleaning element; in the construction of the cleaning element which is provided with oppositely disposed cleaning edges, whereby when one edge becomes worn, the cleaning element may be inverted to present a new cleaning edge; and, in the simple and inexpensive construction of the apparatus as a Whole, whereby it may be manufactured at small cost.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawing and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawing there-has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the apparatus, show- 5 ing in full and dotted lines, diflerent positions of the cleaning element, with respect to the operating handle;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing the connection between the handle and lo the scraper frame;

Figure 3 is a front view of the device, partially broken away; v

Figure 4 is a. view showing a device for locking the scraper frame against oscillatory or swing- 15' ing movement with respect to the handle; and

Figure 5 is a view showing a scraper of slightly different construction.

The novel floor cleaner and scraper herein disclosed, is shown comprising what may be termed 20 a frame 2, preferably constructed of sheet metal and being substantially V-shaped, as best illustrated in Figure v1, whereby the oppositely disposed ends thereof are directed forwardly when the frame 2 is positioned as shown in full lines in 25 Figure l. j

The frame 2 has secured thereto, a suitable flexible cleaning element'3, which is preferably made of rubber, as is customary in devices of this kind. The cleaning element 3 is provided with oppositely disposed cleaning edges 4 which taper towards the center, thereby to strengthen the element 3 at its center, as best illustrated in Figure 2. The cleaning element 3 is detachably sesured to the frame 2 by suitable means, such as 3 a channel 5, seated against the outer surface of the cleaning element 3 and detachably secured in position by bolts 6, l and 8. By thus detachably securing the cleaning element to the frame 2, the cleaning element may readily be detached from the frame for replacement, if necessary, or Y to present a new wearing edge, or it may be inverted to present a new cleaning edge. A feature of the invention resides in the novel, means provided for operatively attaching the han 4 dle 9 to the frame 2, whereby rotary movement of the handle about its longitudinal axis will cause the frame 2 to be swung from side to side, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1. p V

The handle 9 is provided at its lower end with 50' a rod or stem ll, shown having a threaded terminal :2 adapted to receive a nut I3. The rod l I is disposedat an angle with respect to the axis of the handle 9, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2. A supporting bracket l4, shown composed of 55 two pieces of strap metal, is secured to the frame 2 and provides a support for the operating handie. The bracket I4 is shown as being substantially U-shaped, and has the lower end of its rearwardly disposed leg (5 secured to the frame 2 by suitable means such as the bolts 6. The forwardly disposed leg I6 of the bracket [4 is shown secured to a cross member I! whose terminals may be secured to the frame 2 by the bolts 1.

An aperture or bearing I8 is provided in the upper rear portion of the bracket 14 adapted to receive the rod II. The forwardend of the rod is vertically movable in a guide slot l9 provided in the forward portion of the bracket l4. By thus connecting the handle to the frame, the

handle may be swung up and down in a verti- 20, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1. The

cal plane, as may be desired by the'operator.

The novel floor cleaner or water sweep herein' disclosed, is operated by shoving it along on the floor in somewhat the same manner as a conventional floor squeegee, with the exception that it may be guided or caused to travel from side to side by relatively rotating the handle 9. By reference to Figure 1, it will be noted that when the rod l l is disposed in the vertical plane of the handle, the frame 2 will be symmetrically disposed with respect to said vertical plane or the handle. When the handle is relatively rotated to the right, whereby the rod II is swung out of the vertical plane of the handle, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, the frame 2 will be correspondingly swung to the right, as also indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, thereby causing the cleaner to move in a direction towards the right, or in the direction in which the handle is rotated.

Bythus constructing the apparatus whereby the frame 2 may be swung from side to side by the simple operation of the handle 9, the outer ends of the cleaning element may readily and conveniently be guided into corners, and under automobiles and other stationary objects which may be spaced from the floor, and in such a manner that the water or slush may be kept in front of it, as will readily be understood by reference to Figure 1.

The novel floor scraper and cleaner, herein disclosed, has been found very practical and highly efficient in the cleaning of smooth surfaces, such' as service stations, garage floors, sidewalks, streets, basements, and various other surfaces where such an apparatus may be used. It is extremely simple in construction, whereby it may be manufactured at small cost.v The connection between the handle and the supporting frame 2 is such that when a forward pressure is exerted on the handle to shove the scraper along the surface of the floor, the pressure exerted upon the cleaning element 3 will be substantially uniformly distributed along the entire cleaning edge thereof. The connection between the handleand frame also provides means whereby the frame may readily be swung from side to side without undue effort by simply relatively rotating the handle, as the apparatus is shoved along on the floor.

In 'Figure 5, I have shown a similar device of slightly difierent construction, wherein it will be noted that the bracket 2! which supports the operating handle 9, has aslight off-set 22 at its rear end portion. This off-set is necessary when the main supporting frame 23 is made relatively wider, as in the case of a larger and wider cleaning device, in order to locate the point of thrust, indicated at 24 in Figure 5, whereby the pressure exerted on the cleaning element 3 will be substantially uniform its entire length. In other words, in devices where the main supporting frame is not more than approximately two feet in width, from tip to tip in a horizontal direction, the bracket I4, shown in Figure 2, may be used, and in devices of larger dimensions, an off-set bracket 2|, as shown in Figure 5, is preferably used in order to assure uniform pressure on the cleaning element 3, when the device is in use.

In some instances it may be desirable to lock the frame 2 against swinging movement in a horizontal plane with respect to the handle 9. To accomplish this, eyes I0 and 30 are provided on the frame 2 and handle 9, respectively, adapted to be engaged by the ends of a hook member hook member 20 may be permanently connected to the handle or it may be detachable, as shown in Figure 4.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame having a cleaning element secured thereto, a handle having an oif-set end portion disposed at an angle to theaxis of the handle, a shoulder at the juncture between said off-set end portion and the handle proper, a bearing receiving the off-set end portion of the handle and adapted to be engaged by said shoulder, and means fixed to said frame and engageable with theouter end of said off-set portion, whereby whenthe handle is rotated to swing said off-set portionout of the vertical plane of the handle, swinging movement is imparted to the frame in a horizontal plane.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame comprising means at its lower edges for engaging a floor or surface to be cleaned, a bracket secured to said frame intermediately thereof and having a bearing aperture in its rear portion, an operating handle received in said bearing aperture and having one end disposed at an angle with respect to the axis of the handle,

a vertically disposed guide slot in the forward portion of said bracket for receiving the outer end of the angularly disposed portion of said handle, and whereby the handle may be swung up and down in a vertical plane independently of the frame, said angularly disposed end of the handle cooperating with said slot to impart rela-- portion extending beyond the pivotal connection between the handle and frame and being disposed at an angle to the axis of the handle, said frame having an elongated slot receiving the terminal of said inclined handle portion, the pivotal mounting of the handle and the arrangement of said slot permitting free swinging movement of the handle in a vertical plane with respect to the frame, when the frame is substan tially alined with the handle, and the engagement of said inclined handle portion with said slot at a point offset from'the axis of the handle, causing a swinging movement to be imparted to the frame, when the handle is rotated about its longitudinal axis; in either direction, thereby to facilitate guiding the apparatus over a floor.

' ALBERT C. HRANICKA. 

